– having regard to the founding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on 8 August 1967,

– having regard to the main legal framework for EU-ASEAN relations, namely the ASEAN-EEC Cooperation Agreement, signed in March 1980(1),

– having regard to the ASEAN Charter, signed in November 2007, establishing legal personality and a legal and institutional framework for ASEAN, including the creation of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) to support and coordinate the work of ASEAN,

– having regard to the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), established in 1993 to foster dialogue and consultation on political and security issues and to contribute to confidence-building and preventive diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region,

– having regard to the various ASEAN frameworks for regional trust-building: the ARF, the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM-Plus), the East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Plus Three (ASEAN plus China, Japan and South Korea) and ASEAN Plus Six (ASEAN plus China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand),

– having regard to the trade agreements existing between ASEAN and Japan, China, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand,

– having regard to the ongoing negotiations and/or the conclusion of seven Partnership and Cooperation Agreements between the European Union and certain ASEAN member states, namely Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam,

– having regard to the negotiations for Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) under way with Indonesia and the Philippines, to the negotiations for FTAs with Malaysia and Thailand, both of which are currently on hold, to the expected conclusion of FTAs with Singapore and Vietnam in the coming months, and to the negotiations for an investment agreement with Myanmar;

– having regard to the meeting between the Commissioner for trade, Cecilia Malmström, and the ASEAN finance ministers held in Manila on 10 March 2017,

– having regard to the 9th Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting (ASEP9), held in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) on 21 and 22 April 2016,

– having regard to the Nuremberg Declaration on an EU-ASEAN Enhanced Partnership of March 2007 and its Plan of Action of November 2007,

– having regard to the Bandar Seri Begawan Plan of Action to Strengthen the ASEAN-EU Enhanced Partnership (2013-2017), adopted in Brunei Darussalam on 27 April 2012,

– having regard to the Joint Communication by the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to the European Parliament and the Council of 18 May 2015, entitled ‘The EU and ASEAN: a partnership with a strategic purpose’ (JOIN(2015)0022),

– having regard to the Foreign Affairs Council conclusions on EU-ASEAN relations of 22 June 2015,

– having regard to the Bangkok Declaration on Promoting an ASEAN-EU Global Partnership for Shared Strategic Goals of 14 October 2016,

– having regard to the accession of the European Union to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) in Phnom Penh on 12 July 2012(2),

– having regard to the 11th Summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM11) held in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) on 15 and 16 July 2016,

– having regard to the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), established in February 1997 to provide a forum for non-governmental dialogue,

– having regard to the ASEAN-EU Programme of Regional Integration Support (APRIS), the ASEAN Regional Integration Support Programme (ARISE), and the Regional EU-ASEAN Dialogue Instrument (READI) in support of the harmonisation of policies and regulations in non-trade-related sectors,

– having regard to the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint agreed in 2007,

– having regard to the 14th ASEAN summit held in 2009 and to the establishment of a roadmap for creating the ASEAN single market (ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)), the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC),

– having regard to the 28th and 29th ASEAN Summits held in Vientiane (Laos) on 6 and 7 September 2016 and to the 30th ASEAN Summit held in Manila (Philippines) from 26 to 29 April 2017,

– having regard to the 24th meeting of the ASEAN-EU Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC), held on 2 March 2017 in Jakarta (Indonesia),

– having regard to the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, adopted at the 27th ASEAN Summit held in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) from 18 to 22 November 2015, and to the announcement of the establishment, on 31 December 2015, of the ASEAN Economic Community, aiming to create an internal market for over 600 million people,

– having regard to the 11th East Asia Summit (EAS) held in Vientiane (Laos) on 8 September 2016, bringing together the leaders of 18 countries – the ASEAN member states, China, Japan and South Korea (ASEAN+3), India, Australia and New Zealand (ASEAN+6), and Russia and the US,

– having regard to the first ASEAN Human Rights Declaration of 18 November 2012 and to the establishment of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) in 2009,

– having regard to ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), a body founded in 2013 with the objective of promoting democracy and human rights in all ASEAN member states,

– having regard to the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (AIPR),

– having regard to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which have been ratified by all ASEAN member states,

– having regard to the ‘Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework’, adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 16 June 2011,

– having regard to the ASEAN Convention Against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, signed by all ASEAN member states in November 2015,

– having regard to the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Reviews (UPRs), in which all ASEAN member states have participated,

– having regard to its recent resolutions on ASEAN, in particular that of 15 January 2014 on the future of EU-ASEAN relations(3),

– having regard to its recent resolutions on ASEAN member states, in particular those of 9 June 2016 on Vietnam(4), of 17 December 2015 on the EU-Vietnam Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation (resolution)(5), of 17 December 2015 on the EU-Vietnam Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation(consent)(6), of 8 June 2016 on the EU-Philippines Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation (consent)(7), and of 8 June 2016 on the EU-Philippines Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation (resolution)(8),

– having regard to its recent human rights urgency resolutions on ASEAN member states, in particular those of 6 October 2016 on Thailand, notably the situation of Andy Hall(9), of 9 June 2016 on Cambodia(10), of 26 November 2015 on the political situation in Cambodia(11), of 9 July 2015 on Cambodia’s draft laws on NGOs and trade unions(12), of 8 October 2015 on the situation in Thailand(13), of 21 May 2015 on the plight of Rohingya refugees, including the mass graves in Thailand(14), of 15 December 2016 on the situation of the Rohingya minority in Myanmar(15), of 7 July 2016 on Myanmar, in particular the situation of the Rohingya(16), of 17 December 2015 on Malaysia(17), of 19 January 2017 on Indonesia, notably the case of Hosea Yeimo and Ismael Alua and the Governor of Jakarta(18), and of 15 September 2016(19) and 15 March 2017(20) on the Philippines,

– having regard to Rule 52 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A8-0243/2017),

A. whereas this year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN, the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, and the 40th anniversary of EU-ASEAN formal relations;

B. whereas the ASEAN region has emerged as one of the world’s most dynamic and fastest-growing, particularly in terms of the economy, technology and research, has a geopolitically and geo-economically strategic position, has rich resources, is pursuing a goal of increased economic integration and an ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda, notably on education, and is a strong advocate of multilateralism; whereas closing the development gap within ASEAN will be vital in pursuing further integration and ensuring security, stability and the protection of social, economic and political rights;

C. whereas the integration processes of the EU and ASEAN are different, arising from different contexts and having different visions and missions; whereas each follows its own logic but the two are comparable, as both rules-based organisations have been fostering peaceful coexistence, regional integration, and international cooperation and development, and have aimed at building trust among their members for many decades; as such, the EU is a unique type of partner for ASEAN;

D. whereas the two regions have attained a considerable level of interaction, and EU-ASEAN relations are comprehensive and cover a wide range of sectors including trade and investment, development, economic matters and political affairs; whereas ASEAN is the EU’s third trading partner and the EU ASEAN’s second, with annual bilateral trade in goods worth more than EUR 200 billion, and the EU is the first provider of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the ASEAN region; whereas for European undertakings ASEAN represents a gateway to the wider region; whereas over the period 2014 to 2020 the EU and its Member States are the first provider of development assistance in the region and the EU has pledged over EUR 3 billion to reduce poverty and address development gaps in low-income ASEAN countries;

E. whereas the EU experience has in the past served as a source of inspiration for other regional integration processes;

F. whereas the EU has consistently supported the work of ASEAN and in particular the ASEAN Secretariat, and has, in recognition of ASEAN’s importance, appointed a dedicated EU Head of Delegation to ASEAN who took office in 2015;

G. whereas at present the integration processes in both regions are being challenged but are at the same time opening up new opportunities; whereas the EU is facing several crises; whereas ASEAN, in spite of the goal of fostering ASEAN centrality, saw intra-ASEAN trade decline in 2016 and has been beset with problems, including diverging foreign policy orientations and spillover effects from domestic problems relating to threats to democracy and the rule of law, inter-religious relations, ethnic minorities, social inequalities and human rights violations, including with crossborder implications;

H. whereas the EU has determined that it will place human rights at the centre of its relations with third countries;

I. whereas in December 2014 the EU granted GSP+ status to the Philippines, as the first ASEAN country to enjoy such trade preferences; whereas this enables the Philippines to export 66 % of its products tariff-free to the EU;

J. whereas the withdrawal of the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) may give new impetus to negotiations for a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP); whereas a more assertive China is launching initiatives such as ‘One Belt, One Road’ that challenge all countries in the neighbourhood and beyond;

K. whereas tensions in the South China Sea (SCS) constitute a threat and a risk to security and stability in the region; whereas the most worrying trend is the militarisation of the SCS; whereas the ASEAN-China Dialogue on a Code of Conduct remains ASEAN’s primary mechanism for exchanges with China on the SCS; whereas Chinese activities – from military patrols and drills to construction activities, in disregard of the principles outlined in the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea of 2002 – remain an issue of concern;

1. Congratulates the ASEAN member states on the 50th anniversary of ASEAN, and fully supports all efforts for regional integration; expresses equally its appreciation for 40 years of EU-ASEAN relations, and reiterates its recommendation that relations should be upgraded into a Strategic Partnership based on concrete actions, tangible deliverables and stronger substantive cooperation; underlines the EU’s interest in enhancing its cooperation with this pivotal player in a region of strategic importance; stresses that the strategic partnership will provide an opportunity for the EU to reinforce its contribution to the implementation of shared objectives in the Indo-Pacific sphere;

2. Highlights the political value of strong trade and investment relations between ASEAN and the EU, and exhorts both partners to further strengthen their economic and political relations; stresses that there is significant potential for EU-ASEAN trade relations to grow; highlights that the EU is the top foreign investor in ASEAN; also highlights the opportunities for cooperation in implementing the SDGs; calls for stepping up cooperation to close the development gap that exists within ASEAN; believes that cooperation could be strengthened and good practices shared in various areas, such as addressing global challenges, including climate change, transnational organised crime and terrorism, border management, maritime security, financial sector development, transparency and macroeconomic policies; emphasises the pursuit of a high level of EU-ASEAN cooperation in multilateral institutions such as the UN, but also the WTO, with reference to preserving, strengthening and further developing the multilateral international trade architecture and fair trading relationships;

3. Commends the VP/HR and the Commission for adopting a Joint Communication, endorsed by the Member States, setting out a roadmap for deepening the partnership in political, security and economic matters, as well as in connectivity, the environment, natural resources and other domains, such as the promotion and protection of human rights; stresses the importance of strengthening political dialogue between the EU and ASEAN; recalls that the EU's active support for deepening ASEAN integration contributes to its resilience and to the stability of the region; stresses that the EU provides technical assistance and capacity-building in creating an internal market;

4. Welcomes the appointment of an EU Head of Delegation to ASEAN and the opening of an EU mission to ASEAN in 2015, in a development which recognises the importance of the relationship between the EU and ASEAN;

5. Notes that, as the UK has over the years played an important and valuable role in fostering EU-ASEAN bonds, there will be a need and an opportunity for ASEAN and the EU and its Member States to actively reinforce relations in the light of the new reality of Brexit; calls on the UK to continue to cooperate closely with the EU-ASEAN partnership; calls for stepped-up EU engagement with the existing ASEAN-led fora; considers that the EU should upgrade and intensify its diplomatic efforts with ASEAN in order to contribute to greater stability and security in conflict areas with renewed tensions, working closely with partners in the region and upholding international law;

6. Regrets the late and reserved reaction of the EU to the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) award in the South China Sea dispute, and calls for the EU to promote respect and compliance with the provisions of UNCLOS; reiterates that the EU supports peaceful negotiated solutions to international disputes; insists on freedom of navigation; calls on China to accept the tribunal’s award; encourages the parties to aim for a peaceful settlement of the disputes, based on the principles of international law under UNCLOS; supports the efforts of ASEAN member states to work towards the early conclusion of an effective Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea;

7. Regrets actions such as extensive land reclamation and the placing of military installations and arsenal on reclaimed land, which risks militarising the conflict; expresses serious concern over the increasing defence spending in the region and its neighbourhood and the growing militarisation of conflicts, notably in the South and East China Seas; notes the need for the EU to continue supporting the development of peaceful relations between China and its neighbours around the South China Sea through inclusive multilateral mechanisms; supports all actions enabling the South China Sea to become a 'Sea of Peace and Cooperation’; calls on the Member States to strictly abide by the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports; insists on the importance of the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, notably in view of the latest developments in the DPRK;

8. Supports the EU-ASEAN security partnership and the sharing of experiences and best practice on a host of mostly non-conventional security issues, with a view to stepping up regional capabilities, with particular regard to strengthened dialogue and cooperation on maritime security, piracy, the fight against organised crime and support for cooperation between Europol and the Inter-ASEAN Police (Aseanapol), counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, climate security, confidence-building measures, preventive diplomacy and mediation, crisis management, disaster preparedness and relief and humanitarian assistance; supports greater contribution and involvement on the part of the EU in the ARF;

9. Welcomes the holding of the 3rd ASEAN-EU High Level Dialogue on Maritime Security Cooperation in Thailand on 15 and 16 September 2016, which identified and proposed future areas of concrete cooperation between ASEAN and the EU in the domain of maritime security and preventive diplomacy; looks forward to the convening of the 4th ASEAN-EU High Level Dialogue on Maritime Security Cooperation, to be held in 2017 in the Philippines;

10. Reiterates the EU's support for ASEAN centrality and for its important role in promoting dialogue and cooperation for peace, security, stability and prosperity, in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond; calls for the creation of operational and efficient dispute settlement mechanisms as provided for in Chapter 8 of the ASEAN Charter and in a 2010 Protocol to the Charter, including legally binding measures and regulations; draws attention to the experience which has been gained over 40 years on the continent of Europe with an approach to security which, in addition to a political and military dimension, also embraces the economic, environmental and human dimensions; is convinced that this experience can be exploited in ASEAN´s efforts for the peaceful development of its region; underscores the interest of the EU in furthering engagement with the region through all ASEAN-led processes;

11. Underlines the EU's particular experience in institution-building, the single market, regulatory convergence, conflict and crisis management, maritime security, mediation, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as well as its recent progress on defence integration and its successful experience with regional norm-setting and strong regional architecture for human rights and democracy, together with its willingness to share such experience where useful; highlights the negotiations for an EU-ASEAN Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement (CATA) and the broader connectivity agenda; notes that for the period 2014-2020 half of the EU’s financial assistance to ASEAN is devoted to supporting ASEAN's connectivity;

12. Highlights the need to engage at the multilateral level with other jurisdictions in the region, such as ASEAN observers Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste, as well as China, Japan and Taiwan;

13. Believes that from a geopolitical point of view there is a very good reason to advocate the relaunching of negotiations for a regional EU-ASEAN free trade agreement, and welcomes the conclusions of the recent meeting between the EU’s Commissioner for trade, Cecilia Malmström, and the ASEAN Economic Ministers concerning a scoping exercise in that regard, as well as the steps taken in pursuit of the final objective of a region-to-region agreement; encourages from a strategic point of view any efforts to explore the options for concluding free trade agreements with all ASEAN countries; recalls that ASEAN represents the EU's third largest trading partner outside Europe, and that the EU is ASEAN's second largest trading partner;

14. Stresses that national and foreign enterprises operating in ASEAN countries must act in accordance with the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); urges the ASEAN countries to make sure that social, environmental and labour rights are fully respected; calls for the full and effective implementation of the ILO conventions and for respect of core labour standards; calls on ASEAN and its member states to effectively implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, to promote appropriate employment protection and decent working conditions, and to establish an environment that is more conducive to the development of trade unions; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to use all available instruments to enhance compliance with the above; highlights, furthermore, the need to ensure the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour and of child labour;

15. Calls on European companies investing in the ASEAN region to live up to their corporate social responsibilities and to respect European standards concerning consumer, labour and environmental rights, as well as to uphold the rights of the indigenous populations;

16. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to facilitate an institutionalised social dialogue between the Asia-Europe People's Forum (AEPF) and corresponding civil society structures in the EU;

17. Notes that ASEAN has declared itself to be people-oriented and people-centred and that the legitimacy and relevance of the regional integration processes, both in the EU and ASEAN, depend on associating as many stakeholders as possible in the process and communicating its achievements; considers people-to-people contacts, particularly for young people, to be a very important instrument of cultural exchange, and calls for a considerable enlargement of the Erasmus+ facility for ASEAN; underlines that there is much room in the ASEAN countries for vocational training, and highlights prospects of cooperation in the area of the dual formation system practised in certain EU Member States; urges also developing cultural diplomacy activities in line with the June 2016 communication on an EU Strategy for International Cultural Relations and the recent report of Parliament on the subject; highlights the important function of the Asia-Europe Foundation and believes that support for its work should be expanded;

18. Underlines the notion that structured exchanges and cooperation on the level of regions and localities (city twinning) offer an interesting instrument to enhance mutual practical experience, and draws attention to concrete initiatives such as the Covenant of Mayors or the Under2 MOU, which should be actively promoted;

19. Suggests celebrating this year’s ASEAN-EU anniversary with an EU initiative for an EU-ASEAN young leaders’ exchange programme, to be realised in 2018 when Singapore occupies the ASEAN chair; suggests that if this is successful an annual forum should be created to allow young leaders from the EU and ASEAN to exchange ideas and build relationships in order to support EU-ASEAN relations in the future; suggests, further, examining with the ASEAN partners the practical scope for the reciprocal funding of research institutes or academic programmes whose purpose would be to study the integration processes, and experiences of those processes, in the respective partner region;

20. Underlines the need to promote gender equality and women's empowerment and to improve the lives of girls and women; highlights that access to education is therefore vital and could lead to social and economic transformation;

21. Stresses that the EU should also intensify policy dialogues and cooperation on issues such as fundamental rights, including the rights of ethnic and religious minorities and on matters of common concern including the rule of law and security, protection of freedom of expression and the free flow of information, the fight against transnational crime, corruption, tax evasion, money laundering and trafficking in people and drugs, counter-terrorism, non-proliferation, disarmament, maritime security and cybersecurity;

22. Welcomes the holding of the first EU-ASEAN Policy Dialogue on Human Rights in October 2015 and looks forward to further dialogues of this kind; is deeply concerned at the erosion of democracy and the violations of human and minority rights and continued repression and discrimination in countries of the region, and the failure to allow sufficient space for refugees and stateless persons or for civil society, particularly for environmental, land rights and labour rights activists, human rights defenders, and media workers; warns that failure to confront the issues related to the marginalisation of minorities would challenge the sustainability and long-term success of ASEAN; deplores the fact that a repressive attitude to drug users has resulted in high human costs and extrajudicial killings; highlights the need for empowering civil society in ASEAN by ensuring meaningful consultation with NGOs and grassroots movements in the context of regional policymaking;

23. Is concerned at the setbacks with regard to the abolition of the death penalty in the region, and calls on all ASEAN countries to refrain from reinstating the death penalty and to abide by their international obligations; welcomes the efforts being made in the fight against trafficking in human beings and forced labour, and calls on all governments to step up the protection of victims and cross-country cooperation;

24. Calls on ASEAN to dedicate adequate resources to its Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR); hopes that specific and verifiable targets and measures will be included in the AICHR's five-year work plan and that its mandate will be strengthened so that it can actively monitor, investigate, prosecute and prevent human rights violations; encourages the AICHR to consider and discuss the establishment of a complementary ASEAN Court of Human Rights, on similar lines to those existing in other regions of the world;

25. Urges the EU and its Member States to seek out all opportunities for cooperation with the ASEAN countries on strengthening democracy; supports the work of the Regional EU-ASEAN Dialogue Instrument Human Rights Facility office, which aims to publicise human rights issues and actions and increase awareness about human rights; urges all ASEAN member states to ratify further UN human rights conventions and their optional protocols, as well as the Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and to support initiatives for transitional justice, reconciliation and the fight against impunity across the region;

26. Is concerned that a million stateless persons reside in the ASEAN member states; notes that the Rohingya in Myanmar are the single largest stateless group in the world, with over 1 million persons under UNHCR´s statelessness mandate, but that large communities of stateless people are also to be found in Brunei, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and elsewhere; encourages the ASEAN member states to work together and to share good examples and efforts in order to end statelessness in the entire region;

27. Recognises the importance of the EU's role in the progress achieved to date by the ASEAN countries, and calls on the EU always to maintain dialogue in order to support the region in its progress towards democratisation, development and integration;

28. Is concerned that climate change will have a major impact on ASEAN; recalls that the ASEAN region remains one of those most vulnerable to the phenomenon; urges the ASEAN member states to accelerate the shift towards low-carbon economies and to rapidly reduce deforestation, effectively curb forest fires and adopt more environment-friendly technologies for transport and buildings; welcomes the EU’s initiative of a new dedicated EU-ASEAN Dialogue on Sustainable Development; notes in this context the EU’s support for the task of clearance of unexploded ordnance in some countries in the region; urges EU-ASEAN cooperation on sustainable tourism, food security and the protection of biological diversity and in particular of coral reefs and mangrove forests, and action to effectively address overfishing in the region; highlights the need to provide assistance to ASEAN countries in order to enhance the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity and the systematic rehabilitation of forest ecosystems; urges the ASEAN member states to make efforts to enhance their rapid response capacity to natural disasters, under the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER);

29. Calls for the EU institutions and Member States to give adequate priority to a high frequency of political contacts, notably at ministerial level, and to take full advantage of the ASEAN member state responsible for coordinating ASEAN's Dialogue Relations with the EU and for chairing ASEAN; recalls the demands that have been made for a region-to-region EU-ASEAN parliamentary assembly, and urges greater use of parliamentary public diplomacy in various policy areas; insists in the meantime on strengthening cooperation with the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) through regular and structured exchanges; calls for the EU institutions and Member States also to take advantage of the opportunities for intensive exchanges on regional issues presented at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue Forum;

30. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the European External Action Service, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the ASEAN Secretariat and the governments and parliaments of the ASEAN member states.